Passenger Trains > Caltrain Crossarm Construction Chronicles, Continued

Progress on erecting poles and attaching crossarms for Caltrain's 25kv AC electrification project
in the San Bruno/South San Francisco area seem to have slowed in recent weeks with crews
mainly working on locating underground utilities.  The work is so far concentrated in a few localized
areas but those spots are certainly taking on a new look as trains scoot past the future catenary.

These three views were all taken from the San Bruno station platform.
 

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Two more shots as southbounds move down main track one(due to maintenance work) at CP Sierra
in SSF and a couple of miles further south at the Graniterock facility.

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Can double stack containers and high box cars run under these? just curious. 

Good to see this. 100 years overdue.

John Webb
Trinidad, CA

beefnlee Wrote:
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> Can double stack containers and high box cars run
> under these? just curious. 

There is no double stack traffic on this line, so not a problem.

Safe bet stacks could run under what's been built so far. Maybe not under the wire, tho?

Posted from Android

But might there be stack trains through the San Jose depot and down the Coast Line, or would anything like that be routed down the valley and over Tehachapi?

PHall Wrote:
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> beefnlee Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Can double stack containers and high box cars
> run
> > under these? just curious. 
>
> There is no double stack traffic on this line, so
> not a problem.

Was curious about the existing signal bridges.  Will those get replaced as part of this project, or are they high enough to be out of the way and still useful.  I've always wondered how well you could see up through the wires to view signals on a bridge.  Do they do that along the Northeast Corridor at all?

Nathan

It's hard for me to believe I worked this line for so many years.  Sure looks different from the SP days. 

Unlikely but who knows. Very little, if any stack traffic running between Northern and Southern California on the UP.

rdb3 Wrote:
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> But might there be stack trains through the San
> Jose depot and down the Coast Line, or would
> anything like that be routed down the valley and
> over Tehachapi?
>
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > beefnlee Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Can double stack containers and high box cars
> > run
> > > under these? just curious. 
> >
> > There is no double stack traffic on this line,
> so
> > not a problem.

beefnlee Wrote:
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> Can double stack containers and high box cars run
> under these? just curious. 

The vertical "mechanical" clearance requirement for double stack containers is 20' 2."  This does not include the additional air breakdown clearance required between the tops of the containers and the energized contact wire. I understand the top-of-rail to contact wire distance is 22' in the few locations where stack trains run under catenary.

I have seen a few California HSR specs which indicate the top-of-rail to contact wire distance is 18' 9."  If CalTrain is following this same spec, then stack trains will not be possible on this route.

Ray 
 

Good view of the Granite Rock Spur, it's really difficult to see from any of the roads in the area.

Hallelujah!  This has been talked about for years, and to finally see overhead structure in place is like a dream come true for us electric railway fans.  It's been over 100 years since SP electrified the East Bay suburban system, mostly because of competitive pressure from the Key System railway, and that ended in 1941.

Can you imagine a train of these going through Burlingame or Menlo Park?

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> Can double stack containers and high box cars run under these? just curious.

Short answer: except for the tunnels, yes; reason: CPUC overhead wire clearance specs. Double stacks won't fit through the tunnels even without the overhead wires.

Interesting development; thanks for posting the pictures.
Will they be tapping into commercial power, or will they draw power from some other new generating source?
We periodically have "flex alerts" (voluntary reduction in electric power use) during heat waves in California. 
s much as I would like to see this route under wire, it looks like an additional major draw on the electric power distribution system.